A federal judge in the Southern District of West Virginia is allowing a class‑action lawsuit to move forward alleging Aramark Correctional Services has maintained a monopoly over prison food systems while providing meals so poor that incarcerated people are forced to buy additional food through Aramark‑controlled commissary programs.
Food served in prisons is typically ultra‑processed, heavy on refined carbohydrates and boxed items, with little access to fresh produce or quality protein. Leslie Soble, carceral food researcher and co‑author of Eating Behind Bars, said incarcerated people routinely report being served moldy bread, spoiled milk, rotten meat and items marked “Not for human consumption.” She noted that even when meals are technically edible, they are nutritionally inadequate.
Aramark contracts with roughly 450 to 500 prisons and jails across at least 35 states, according to the American Friends Service Committee. In court filings, the company argued the plaintiffs’ claims amount to dissatisfaction with the product rather than evidence of wrongdoing.
Soble said the lawsuit underscores how families are financially exploited when they must help loved ones purchase commissary food to compensate for insufficient meals. “They’re not providing enough food for people to feel full and be able to function,” she said.
Teri Castle, reentry navigator for the REACH Initiative, added that poor nutrition can hinder recovery for incarcerated people with substance use disorders. “Your brain cannot heal if your body is still sick,” she said.
Both advocates spoke about prison food conditions during Gauley Fest at Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park over the weekend.
